The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Lagerstroemia indica×Lagerstroemia fauriei, commonly known as crapemyrtle, and herein referred to by the varietal denomination ‘Gamad VII’, as herein described and illustrated.
The new crapemyrtle plant variety ‘Gamad VII’ originated from open-pollinated seed of ‘Pocomoke’ (unpatented), a compact, rose-pink flowered introduction in 1999 from the United States National Arboretum (USDA). ‘Gamad VII’ was derived from plants grown in 2001 at Athens, Ga. from seed collected from open pollinated ‘Pocomoke’ plants. The seedlings were planted in containers at Dearing, Ga. and selected on the basis of the following criteria: 1) compact habit; 2) mildew resistance; 3) early flowering; and 4) flower color and quality. The new variety, ‘Gamad VII’, was selected in 2003 at Dearing, Ga.
Asexual reproduction by traditional vegetative cuttings since 2003 at Dearing, Ga. has shown that the distinguishing characteristics of this new crapemyrtle variety, ‘Gamad VII’, are stable and reproduce true-to-type in successive generations.